This Split CD introduces two brand new bands to all metal heads all over the world. Each one has it’s own sound and visions of modern doom/death metal. Majestic Downfall (Mexico) is a one-man-band, which recaptures the feeling of the 90’s European Doom Metal scene, while mixing it with some more modern Doom Metal overtones. Main idea of Ansia (Italy) is to find new sounds in the doom scene. Atmospheric music is interesting due to its specific sound. Ansia’s part of the Split has been mixed by Alessio Fagrelli (ex-session keyboards for Deinonychus), who also plays piano on the song “Part I”.

Tracklist:1 A Birds Departure 8:102 In An Ocean Of Fears 7:223 A Tear Of Understanding 7:384 Part I 13:405 Part II 5:516 Part III 15:37

A split with two bands. Majestic Downfall is from Mexico and active since 2006 when the solo man Jacobo left the band Antiqua. Ansia is a band from Italia and active since 2006 due to the will of finding new sounds into the doom scene.
But Majestic Downfall is opening the split with 3 songs that are more accessible than the 3 of Ansia. Doom with a groove. Low singing vocals, piano, flute and melancholic guitars. And the second song "In An Ocean Of Fears" they continue what they started. But the last song of Majestic Downfall is more up tempo and sounding heavier that the previous two.
The songs of Ansia on the contruary are sounding darker and more obscure. Long soundscapes with tormenting voices in slow songs. Also a piano here and there. The second song has an sound effect like you are listening to a scratched vinyl album. Maybe it is not a real song but more of a long interlude. The 3rd part is real depressing and suffering as you can hear in the vocals and in the middle of the song you get a couple of minutes sound fx.
This split show two different bands and which one you like you have to decide for yourself.

When it comes to Doom, then Solitude Productions are fast becoming the masters in discovering great new talent. Here they present a split cd which features, Majestic Downfall, a Mexican one man band with a passion for 90s UK Doom and an Italian outfit, Ansia, who favour a more sparse, somnolent approach.
A quick bit of research reveals that the Majestic Downfall side of the cd is actually the 2007, The First Abyss demo, but if you've not heard the band, or the cd before, then you are in for a treat. This is well played Doom, with Deathly vocals and is just about on the right side of sombre. It sure as hell isn't about sunshine and flowers, but it is melodic
enough, and catchy enough to appeal to appeal to more open minded Metalheads, rather than just Doomheads. Just imagine a slightly happier version of My Dying Bride.
From the accessible Majestic Downfall, we move a few rungs down the gutter, to the despairing strains of Italy's Ansia. Fucking hell, this is a miserable band. You'd think they lived in a war torn and ravaged land by the absolute despondency that they create, but no, they live in a sunny climate that's full of beautiful women. But I guess something has really pissed them off, otherwise their music wouldn't be so funereal. With three songs spread over 35 torturous minutes, this is a mightily depressing listen and not one for the faint-hearted.
Overall, this is a very interesting release, with two completely different bands from the Doom genre represented.

Here’s an interesting release: a split CD between two bands that not only sound completely different, but they also originate from two completely different continents. Majestic Downfall hails from Mexico, whereas Ansia has its feet planted in Italy, making both bands worlds apart. Furthermore, oddly enough, the album is released through the Russian label Solitude Productions… talk about an international cooperation.

First up is the one-man army, Majestic Downfall. Jacobo (music and vocals) brings us 3 tracks of pure doom/death nature in the vain of old Anathema with a touch of Novembers Doom. What you can expect is heavy, melancholic and rather slow tracks that catch the true essence of doom to the point. Although the songs all follow the common recipe – heavy riffs, deep growls, sorrowful keyboard parts and slow paced drumming – and therefore do not present anything new to the world, however, the rather lengthy tracks (8 minutes on average) do not present a single dull moment either. In fact, the tracks are quite heavy and passionate, filled with mournful and bitter emotions. One minor setback would be the high-pitched keyboard melody in “A Birds Departure.” Not only does it slightly hurt the music, it is also quite annoying and hurtful to my ears as well. Yet, on “In an Ocean of Fears” (my favorite of the three tracks) it comes off rather pleasantly, giving the track an extra flavor. In any case, 3 tracks were more than enough to get oneself hooked on this majestic and awfully melancholic music. Brilliant!

Next up is Ansia with three tracks of pure funeral doom, not for the faint of heart. At over 30 minutes, the songs carry you into its painful melancholy, leaving you in a stage of utter despair. Don’t expect straightforward music. It takes time before these requiems of death set in and enwrap you in its breath-taking shadow. The tracks tend to progress slowly, where the chords seldom change – although I must say, the guitar work is very remarkable, especially for its heaviness. The drumming is also quite dreary (inducing a trance-like state), the keyboard melodies are exceptionally beautiful (take for example the intro and outro of “Part I”), the bass-lines enhances the cold and eerie emotions of the music and the painful screams sound as if they were coming from a funeral pyre. Indeed, this highly melancholic music is quite impressive! Ansia is definitely a band to look out for: with only 3 tracks, they have proven to possess the right ingredients.

Solitude Production has done an outstanding job in putting forth an extremely sorrowful doom album. Although both bands sound completely different, I highly praise both for their tragic music! It is heavy yet quite depressive; bitter yet beautiful. In short: a must-have for fans of beautiful, dark and emotional doom metal!

Author: Randall Ras

Solitude Productions11.05.2009, 01:50

Review
Burningblack

This album contains the first professional releases of these two bands (which are unavailable separately); Majestic Downfall, hailing from Mexico, and the Italian band Ansia, both bands released only a self-released demo each one before this Split Cd under Solitude Productions… The first half of this split album belong to the Mexican one man band Majestic Downfall, which delivers here three tracks of European styled Doom Metal highly influenced by the sound of early Paradise Lost and Katatonia that is to say, melodic and atmospheric riffs accompanied by mid paced drumming, deep growling vocals and some decent keyboard lines… pretty standard by still quite interesting. The vocal work of Jacobo is probably the strongest and most extreme element of this entire work delivering passion and obscurity in shape of infernal vocalizations mixed with occasional clean lines. The varied and rather rocking structures fill every composition reaching its highest point at the closing track of this half “A Tear of Understanding”, at this song Majestic Downfall unleashes its obscure potential, slightly detaching its sound from its influences and showing a little more innovative facet. This half is definitely a rather unoriginal but still enjoyable slab of Doom Metal… The second half of this album belongs to Ansia, this Italian trio formed by Ruben (drums), Steven (guitars) and Ethere (vocals, bass, synths) plays a highly atmospheric and ethereal blackish Doom Metal, where the incidental keyboard atmospheres mixed with some tenebrous, hypnotic guitar lines and a cadent, agonizing drumming are the responsible for a magnificent, grim and decadent feeling. The drowned and infernal vocalizations are the perfect complement for the whole atmosphere, contributing with a remarkable blackened and extreme touch. This whole work has a really remarkable paranormal feeling surrounding the three tracks this half contains; just listen to the fifth track “Part II”, the shortest track of this half, at this relatively short interlude the synthesizer’s oneiric sound harmonized by some quite dissonant guitar lines and some interesting sonic effects perfectly exemplifies the disturbing and obscure feeling of Ansia. I definitely prefer the Ansia’s half, even when Majestic Downfall certainly delivers here some quality music; the Italian band shows here a much more original and disturbing proposal… Anyway, this album, as a whole, is a very interesting piece of obscure and wintry music and is definitely a nice debut from these two raising bands... (AP)